Long-term prognosis of asymptomatic individuals with spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 electrocardiographic phenotype of Brugada syndrome

Abstract

Background: Risk stratification of asymptomatic individuals with type 1 electrocardiogram (ECG) phenotype of Brugada syndrome (BS) still remains controversial. This study investigated the long-term prognosis of asymptomatic subjects with spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 ECG pattern of BS.

Methods and results: Data from 33 apparently healthy individuals (30 males; age, 43.6 ± 13.4 years) with spontaneous (n = 12) or drug-induced (n = 21) type 1 ECG pattern of BS were retrospectively analyzed. Thirteen subjects (39.4%) displayed a positive family history of BS and/or sudden cardiac death. Electrophysiologic study was performed in 16 subjects, and programed right ventricular stimulation induced polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in 9 (56.3%) of them. A cardioverter defibrillator was implanted in 6 cases. During a mean follow-up period of 5.3 ± 2.8 years, all subjects remained asymptomatic. None of them had syncope or cardioverter defibrillator discharges due to ventricular arrhythmias.

Conclusions: Asymptomatic individuals with spontaneous or drug-induced type 1 ECG phenotype of BS display a benign clinical course during long-term follow-up.